(Newser)
–
Al Gore may well be the loudest voice on the subject of climate change, and he has been handsomely rewarded for his efforts. A lengthy Washington Post profile today has this nugget:

"Just before leaving public office in 2001, Gore reported assets of less than $2 million; today, his wealth is estimated at $100 million."

A big part of the huge jump can be explained by his investments in green tech, and it helped that the Obama administration came in four years ago with a mission to push alternative energy. Fourteen firms connected to Gore got "$2.5 billion in loans, grants, and tax breaks," says the Post. Gore wasn't interviewed in the piece, but he has previously rejected GOP criticism that he took advantage of political connections to get rich. He believes a "green economy" will be good for America, he said a while back, "and I have invested in it." Read the full piece here.